PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Enrique Rold (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Derek Legion (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Legion has chosen Winds of Plague - A Cold Day in Hell/Anthems to the Apocalypse as his entrance music. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Rold
vs
Legion

168 cm
28
155 lbs
14 - 11 - 1

170 cm
28
140 lbs
9 - 7 - 0

Good wrestling
Lethal high kicks
Cardio machine

Excellent grappler
Excellent MT
Granite chin

Conquer
Conviction

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 14 - 11 - 1, fighting out of Amsterdam, Enrique Rold!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Derek Legion!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Blasius, Patrick Alders and Paul Aken.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rold on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Rold lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Rold misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Legion.
And Legion tries to counter it with a takedown but Rold pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Rold is looking to chop away at Legion's legs.
And Legion tries to counter it with a takedown but Rold pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Rold lands a nice looking body kick.
Legion shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Rold but Rold pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Rold tried to counter with a leg kick but Legion avoided it.
Rold lands with a thumping leg kick.
Rold throws a sloppy head kick

and Legion counters with a takedown into side control! That could mean trouble for Rold!
We've been hearing good reports from Rold's training camp. Apparently he has been rolling around with some good quality BJJ practitioners and has been sharpening his skills. Let's see if that has an impact on the fight today.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
You can see the frustration on Rold's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

Legion tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Rold manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rold wants to lay and pray for a moment but Legion keeps working.
Legion tries to get to full guard but Rold has control of the leg.
Rold wants to free his trapped foot but Legion is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Rold not landing any meaningful shots this time.

Rold is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Legion wants to control but Rold is keeping busy and won't allow it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.

Legion looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Legion is staying active underneath Rold, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

Legion looking for submissions off his back.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Legion is trying to get back to full guard.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Legion moves into full guard.
Rold slips nicely into half guard.

Legion looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Rold is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Legion has managed to free his arm - good work.

Rold looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Rold is keen to just control but Legion is a slippery customer.
Rold wants to stand up but Legion is controlling the position.
Rold is pressing down on Legion's thigh, looking to free his foot. Legion is holding on for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Legion is looking to control Rold's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Legion avoid being mounted?

Rold is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.

Rold is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Legion has managed to free his arm - good work.
Rold trying to mount his opponent but Legion defends it.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Rold is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.

Legion looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Enrique Rold dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

A head kick misses from Rold.
Rold just misses with a punch to the body.
Legion feints the counter takedown.
Legion checks a low kick from Rold.
Legion looks to score with a jab to the body but Rold is just out of range.
Rold throws a half hearted mid kick.
Jab, jab by Rold - just one landing.

It looks like Derek Legion has been cut.
Rold goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Legion throws a body punch but Rold moves out of range.
Rold pivots, looking for a leg kick but Legion is out of range and Rold settles back down.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rold misses with a kick to the body.
Rold fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Legion manages to avoid it.
Rold throws a hook but Legion avoids it easily.
Rold fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
And Legion tries to counter it with a takedown but Rold pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Enrique Rold seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rold misses with a low kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Legion throws a shot from downtown. Rold moves away and avoids it.
Rold throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Enrique Rold is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Legion fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Rold manages to avoid it.
As Legion backs away, Rold returns fire with a leg kick that just misses.
Legion checks a leg kick.
Legion getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Rold misses with a kick to the body

and Legion counters with a nice double leg into half guard.

Legion seems to be trying to get a kimura but instead Rold has recovered full guard.
Legion is pushing down on Rold's leg trying to pass to half guard. Rold is fighting to maintain full guard but Legion has managed to sneak the leg through.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Legion is trying to control. Rold wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Rold wants to get back to full guard.
Legion uses his free foot to push down on Rold's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Rold.
Legion with a couple of short strikes.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Legion trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Legion misses with a head shot.

Legion is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Rold has managed to escape the submission attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rold is wriggling around trying to escape.

Legion is going oldschool here, as he tries to force Rold to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Rold shrugs it off.
Rold is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Legion landing punches.
Legion with shots to the head and body - Rold looks very uncomfortable down there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Legion unloads with some shots from mount but Rold bucks and avoids them well.
Rold keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Legion landing strikes, looking to finish!
Legion tries to control but Rold wriggling away.
Rold working to try and regain half guard.
Rold sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Derek Legion showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Derek Legion's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. And we move into the final round!

Legion connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Legion blocks a leg kick.
Rold throws the kick towards the body but Legion avoids it.
Rold walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Legion checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Legion connects with a body shot.
Legion misses with a low kick.
The step up in weight doesn't seem to be a problem for Legion. He's performing admirably here against the bigger man.
An inside leg kick lands from Rold.
Enrique Rold is winning the standup battle so far.
Rold scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Legion doesn't seem bothered though.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Legion gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Legion walks into a left hand.
A nice inside leg kick there by Rold. That's going to slow Legion down.
Legion is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Rold.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Legion lands a glancing blow to the side of Rold's head.
Rold moves out of range of the body kick.
Rold throws a quick counter kick to the body but Legion avoids it.
Rold throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Rold pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Legion scores with a body shot.
Rold pulls out of a head kick attempt.

Legion throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Rold was covering up waiting for the punch and Legion finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Legion wants to control from the top but Rold keeps moving.
Legion pushing down on Rold's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rold trying to control but Legion postures up.
Legion trying to advance position but Rold counters by regaining guard.
Legion sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Rold's guard.
Nice strikes from Legion there.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Rold actively working from the bottom here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Legion lands a nice short elbow.

Legion is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Rold is just riding it out for now. Legion eventually gives up the hold.
Legion wants to pass to mount but Rold is defending the position.
Rold gets full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Legion trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Rold wants to sweep but no luck.
Legion passes Rold's right leg, so he's now in half guard.

Legion is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Rold defends it well.
Rold is trying to get back to full guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Derek Legion comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Legion has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Daniel Blasius scores the fight 28:29
Judge Patrick Alders scores the fight 28:29
Judge Paul Aken scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Derek Legion!
After winning the bout, Derek Legion thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.